Love on a boat
by Suzi-andersen
Summary: Rosie has a hard time adjusting back to life in England after Greece and meeting Bill. But he comes up with a certain solution... R&R please! My first story so will appreciate any constructive criticism! Hope you will enjoy!


Rosie walked into her empty apartment and was immediately struck by the overwhelming silence. She looked around and similarly to the last three weeks she felt lonely. She spent a month with Bill on his boat sailing around Greece after Donna's and Sam's wedding. They got to know each other and the more time they spend together the more she felt for him. She always thought that her destiny was to be a lone wolf, a life led by a writer. However, the moment she met Bill she started to realise she needed all that love and family stuff as every other woman. They spend long days sailing, talking and sightseeing, and nights making love. Now that she was back in England she tried to go back to her old life, the life before Greece, life before Bill. She was meant to be writing a new book, her editor was pushing for a release date, but she hadn't managed even one sentence in three weeks.

She threw her bag on the table and pressed the answering machine. There was a message from Donna asking how she was getting on with her life, message from Tanya reminding her of their upcoming meeting tomorrow and a message from her editor asking how the writing was going. Rosie walked around pouring herself some white wine and exhaled strongly. As soon as she set down on the sofa the phone rang again. She put the glass on the coffee table and picked up the phone.

"Hello" she really hoped she was sounding cheerful.

"Hi beautiful" the moment she heard his voice a funny sensation started in her stomach.

"Bill" she breathed out trying to keep the longing out of her voice.

"How was your day?" He asked warmly and she closed her eyes for a moment. Since when was she so overwhelmed with hearing a man's voice? He always tried to call her in the evenings. They would talk about their days and share some funny stories. Why today the distance seemed harder than usual?

"Rosie?" He asked when she didn't answer him straight away.

"Bill " she tried to think of something funny to say, but couldn't think of anything other than how much she missed him. Missed his touch, his presence and the way he made her feel with a single look.

"Rosie, darling, is everything OK?" He asked getting more and more worried by her lack of communication.

"I'm... emm ... that is... I'm fine, Bill" She finally managed to say. Smooth, Rosie, very smooth; she thought.

"Yeah, and cows can fly" He said sarcastically wanting to know what was bothering her. He missed her a great deal, but wasn't sure if she felt the same way " Tell me what's wrong. Do I need to come over there and kick someone's ass?" He joked. Her heart flattered when he said the part about coming over and then realised he was trying to make her feel better by making a joke.

"I just seem to have lost my muse. I'm supposed to be writing a new book and it's not going too well" She confessed without giving him a reason behind her current predicament.

"I know how that feels, hon. I'm sailing around Mediterranean Sea with beautiful views all around me and I can't even enjoy them" Bill said looking at the city around him. Was it good that it made her feel better that he seemed distracted too? " I'm supposed to be writing a travel piece, but can't get a certain lady out of my head" he decided to tell her how much he missed her. He was hoping that her lack of writing was for the same reason as his. However, he didn't expect to hear her cry.

" Rosie?" He asked surprised and a bit out of his depth. I did not mean to make you feel bad. Is this conversation making you feel uncomfortable?" He was unsure of what to do in a situation like this, he has never seen or heard her cry before.

"Oh no, no Bill. I just... I miss you, very much actually. And today it just seems harder on me " She decided to tell him the truth, wanting to add that she loved him too, but not feeling up for it just yet. She set up and wiped her eyes " I was remembering our month together and how much I enjoyed being with you and I just wish you were here with me" she finished exhaling and taking a sip of her wine.

"Oh Rosie " he breathed out "You have no idea how much that month meant to me and how much I miss being with you. You managed to change my whole view on life " he exclaimed wishing he could have this conversation face to face.

" How so?" she asked intrigued and smiled to herself. This conversation was taking an interesting turn and she wanted to hear everything he had to say.

"Rosie... Before Greece, before I met you, I believed all I wanted out of live was travel and write books. I was convinced the life I wanted was to be alone, to be free to do whatever I want, wherever I want. And then I met you " he stopped trying to gag her reaction. She stopped breathing for a moment and seemed to hang on his every word. " You make me want things I've never expected to want and need" he stopped talking waiting for some kind of reaction. To her dismay she couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes.

" Oh Bill" she managed to choke out.

"Rosie, you know I'm rubbish at talking about my feelings " he interrupted her before he lost confidence to tell her everything "That one month with you was the best and the most precious time of my life . If you don't feel like you can do this long distance relationship I'd rather know now because I'm already way too deep into this" he said somehow shyly hoping she wouldn't want to finish their relationship.

" Bill!" she exclaimed upon hearing his words " I haven't spend 45 years waiting for you just to give you up after two months!" She stood up from the sofa and started pacing around her little living-room. " The thing is... " she broke off trying to arrange her thoughts " That month on Fernando was the best time of my life too. I never thought I could feel so much for another person. I love Donna and Tanya, of course, but this thing with you... I don't even know how to describe how I feel... I have never wanted to commit to anyone, I've never found a person worth committing to... " She went to the old commode and reached for the framed picture of the two of them on Bill's boat. She absent-mindedly stroked Bill's picture with her finger. " The thing is I'm scared, I'm scared of how much I'm feeling for you already. I'm scared because I've been alone for such a long time and I am scared that you are so far away from me" she declared with a quiet voice still looking at the picture " But I asked you once to take a chance on me" she added with a little smile remembering that particular moment " and you did. I don't want to give that up just because I'm scared" she finished putting back the frame.

"Rosie... " Bill said slowly " I was actually calling with a certain proposition... Instead of writing a book I was thinking of ideas how to spend more time with you. And because both of us are writers I thought we could use that to our advantage" he said excitedly " I thought you could join me here on my boat..."

" But " Rosie tried to interrupt him, but he kept on talking.

"...We could sail around the Mediterranean Sea. I could write my travel piece and you could write about different foods in Greece and Turkey. I know this might seem like a crazy idea, but please think about it" he finished and waited for her response.

At first Rosie had no idea what to say or what to feel for that matter. She felt excited, happy and a bit uncertain. What Bill was saying made so much sense. If she wanted to be with the man she loved this was a perfect solution. But could she just pack up her things and leave? Well, not that she had that many things she would be leaving behind... Many thoughts went through her head and she started to feel slightly dizzy. She sat down again and tried to make up her mind.

" Rosie? Take as much time as you need to think about it" Bill was patiently waiting for a response, but felt like he wasn't going to get one any time soon.

"No, Bill" She started saying, which to his surprise hurt more than he thought it would, but she wasn't finished " I don't need more time to think about it!" she said excitedly and he dared to hope she would actually agree " I want to be with you, as close as possible. And this idea is perfect and amazing and I love you!" She was so happy she didn't even realise she confessed her true feelings to him.

"Oh Rosie!" he cried out "You have no idea how happy you've just made me!...Emmm... Rosie?" he asked suddenly comprehending what she said "Did you just say you love me?" he asked wanting to make sure he heard her correctly.

She felt nervous and didn't know if she could repeat it again. She nodded her head, but then realised he couldn't see her.

"Yes" she whispered covering her face with her hand suddenly worried he didn't feel the same way about her.

"Oh God, Rosie! Why can't I be next to you right now?!" he sounded so frustrated it gave her more hope. " I love you too!" He added putting her out of her misery.

" Really?" she felt a need to be reassured he wasn't just saying that, because she had confessed her feelings.

"Why else would I think about you night and day? Why else would I only think of ideas how to see you? Why else would I think of your smile, your laugh, your smell all the time? Rosie, of course I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me! I only wish I could confess it to your face and then kiss you senseless" He said passionately.

"Oh Bill!" she exclaimed and started crying again. However, this time it was happy tears. " I so wish I was in your arms right now! I can't wait to see you and be with you!" She stood up again already making plans in her head how to arrange everything.

" Will you come soon, please?" He asked feeling like a school boy asking his first girlfriend to a prom.

"I will start arranging everything first thing in the morning" Rosie said happily and walked to her dresser to get her diary I will need to call my editor and my mother ...oh and Tanya she is going to freak out ... and Donna... do you think we might be able to visit her?" she knew she was bubbling, but she could hardly suppress her excitement.

"We will talk about all of the details once you get here" He laughed feeling just as excited as she was. "Call me tomorrow when you arrange everything so I know the details of when and where to pick you up" he asked wishing she could get here tomorrow.

"I will. Thank you, Bill" She said grinning to herself.

"For what?" He asked surprised

"For loving me and for caring so much that you came up with a perfect solution for us to be together" she said feeling emotional again.

"Not surprisingly, once you convinced me to take a chance on you, it was fairly easy to fall in love with you" he confessed shocked at how much easier it was to talk about his feelings now " I love you and I will be waiting for your call tomorrow"

" I love you too" She needed to tell him again "Until tomorrow"

She put the phone down and stared in the distance for a moment. She couldn't believe what just happened. Did Bill Anderson really say he loved her? Was she really going to live with him on his boat and write her new book with the man she loved by her side? She had so many things to arrange! She jumped up from the sofa and moved to her bedroom. She might as well start packing now. Then she would buy a plane ticket and tomorrow she would call everyone she had to.


End file.
